BUDAPEST, Hungary – As the threat of possible anti-Semitic attacks continues throughout the world, one place Jews and Israelis appear to feel safe is Hungary.
We visited Budapest recently during CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference), and after speaking with Europeans, we discovered some of the reasons why people feel relaxed here – free to express their Jewish and Israeli identity.
German parliamentarian Dimitri Shulz openly wears a Jewish yarmulke or kippah in Budapest, although he doesn’t feel comfortable doing so back in Germany.
Shulz told us, “It’s not possible in public to wear a kippah. It’s possible, but it’s very dangerous, yeah. And, I have family, I have kids, so I need to think about this. So, safety first. Just wearing at home and in the synagogue, that’s it.”
That’s because Shulz, his family, and friends have experienced blatant antisemitism.
“The most are coming from the Islamic side, and the second one, from the (political) left side,” he explained.
During a recent trip to Europe, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar expressed his gratitude to Germany and Austria for standing with Israel.
“I want to thank Germany and Austria for standing by Israel in Europe and on the world stage,” he said.
Shultz’s bigger concern, however, is feeling that the German government ignores the anti-Semitic problem inside the country.
“They still say it comes from the right (conservative) side. But I never experienced antisemitism from the right side. This is the dangerous point.”
He said antisemitism from the left and from Islamists, which is more prevalent, is not an allowed topic for discussion.
Belgian parliamentarian Sam Van Rooy told CBN News that of the 150 members of his country’s parliament, only five are considered pro-Israel, with a big proportion of the governing body seen as anti-Semitic.
“If they can say now that the Jews in Israel are the new Nazis, then they can get rid of their guilt feelings from the Holocaust. That is one of the main drivers. Another driver is, of course, (that) also they want the votes from leftist people and from the Muslim groups in our society,” Van Rooy explained.
He points to a rapidly growing Muslim population, which in major cities such as Brussels, can represent as much as 40 percent of the population.
Jews get attacked every day in the streets of Antwerp and Brussels, mostly by Muslims, young Muslims, Muslim gangs, and many Jews – they hide, now, their identity. They hide their kippah, they hide their Star of David, and they really think of leaving the city and also the country, even.
Van Rooy describes himself as an Israel lover and has visited many times.
“I want to protect our Jewish community because they’re part of our tradition and our culture,” he said. “But to all the people that don’t understand, I tell them, listen, even if you don’t care for the Jews or for Israel, do it then for yourself, because Islamic Jihad is targeting the Jews first, but the Christians and all the rest are next.”
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Hungary is also one of the world’s strongest supporters of Israel. Ten years ago, Prime Minister Viktor Orban spoke against the influx of Muslim migrants into Europe. Many said they were fleeing the civil war in Syria, and also the rise and rule of ISIS.
While Hungary closed its borders, Germany alone received about a million asylum-seekers, with millions more crossing into other European countries. Now, many of those people are causing problems.
CPAC-Hungary Chairman Miklos Szantho asserted, “As Hungary stopped illegal migration – and Hungary’s a migrant free zone in Europe – we don’t have any pro-Palestine movements. We do not have Palestine flags on the buildings. But Hungary stands with Israel at the international level, and we are protecting Jewish culture, Jewish security, at the everyday level as well.”
Szantho has witnessed a Jewish renaissance in Hungary, and Jewish people can feel free to keep their traditions. That is not the case, however, in much of Western Europe.
“The mayor of Berlin himself, a few months ago — He’s a Social Democrat guy– he’s no anti-Semite at all, but with, you know, with the goodwill, he advised the Jewish people of Berlin not to wear kippas,” Szatho observed.
He believes many European politicians don’t protect the Jewish people while passively supporting anti-Zionist movements for political gain.
“There’s a large, you know – millions of citizens in France, in Germany, etcetera, with a migration background – mostly from Arab or Muslim countries. And those are votes, votes for the leftist and, you know, the center-right parties, and they do know that if they would back Israel heavily, and support Israel, they would lose,” he insisted.
Hungarian Rabbi Jonathan Megyeri believes people need to stand up for what they believe and fight darkness with light.
“What does it mean on a practical level? The practical level is, you’ve got to fight identity or strong radical Muslim identity with even stronger Jewish and Christian identity. You’ve got to strengthen your Christian idea. If you are a Christian, you’ve got to strengthen your Christian identity. You’ve gotta stand up and, you know, you have to be proud of your heritage.”
With Judeo-Christian values and identity under attack, Megyeri sees only one solution.
“You got to put God above yourself,” he exhorted. “You’ve got to put your goals and then your family ahead of yourself. And you’ve got to work for the country, your homeland that you live in.”
